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Deutsche Bank Switches Off Text Messaging (smh.com.au)
Deutsche Bank has banned text messages and communication apps such as WhatsApp on company-issued phones in an effort to improve compliance standards. From a report: The functionality will be switched off this quarter, chief regulatory officer Sylvie Matherat and chief operating officer Kim Hammonds told staff in a memo. Unlike emails, text messages can't be archived by the bank, said a person with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. "We fully understand that the deactivation will change your day-to-day work and we regret any inconvenience this may cause," Matherat and Hammonds said in the memo. "However, this step is necessary to ensure Deutsche Bank continues to comply with regulatory and legal requirements." The policy also applies to private phones used by employees for work purposes. Communication apps such as WhatsApp, Google Talk, iMessage are also prohibited, the memo said.
Unfortunately this is starting to occur is lots of places. Companies are being forced, or choosing to, move away from real time communication back to email in large numbers due to laws around compliance and a desire to comply at the lowest possible cost.
Actually, it's because they want their staff to actually work. Not mindlessly gossip over instant messenger with their mates.
Personally I see these moves as harmful to the business long term
Most instant messengers don't offer end-to-end encryption so if you're not shittalking with mates I assume your discussing work with co-workers and possible violating your NDA at the same time.
What's the betting that another department complains about this breaking their SMS based two factor authentication once this is rolled out...
Sigs are so 1990s. No way would I be seen dead with one.